Back to class

Today should have been my 1st day back at class. Unfortunately we got a few inches of snow last night and my professor commutes so she cancelled class. On a normal day with bad weather I would be thankful for not having to slide around town on my way to campus. Today though I needed to go back to class no matter what. I need to get back to normal.

The campus has counselors in every class today (yesterday as well) and I was looking forward to the opportunity of discussion that their presence would prompt. Just to be clear, I don't feel that I need counseling to deal with the February 14th tragedy, but I do feel that it would have been a useful tool to help with healing. I do need healing.

Josh took the day off today because he wanted to be here for me knowing that it would be difficult to go back. At least we have a nice opportunity for some quiet study time which we both need. I have to confess that I have slacked a lot on my reading homework over the past week and a half. Picking up a textbook gives me a moment of sadness and because of that I hesitated to do anything that reminded me of the last time I was in class.

NIU has suspended sales of memorial merchandise. Article here I have to say that I am glad. For me personally every black ribbon or sign with NIU's slogan "Forward Together Forward" makes it harder to move on. It's not that I am looking to forget. I will never forget the day that tragedy hit home. But I need to move on. For any one student at NIU to allow that shooter to throw our education off track is letting him win. Some day I hope to be a great anthropologist and I'm not going to get there with a mindset that is stuck on February 14th, 2008.